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Tuesday 24 July 2012

Pegsdon: Autumn Visits 1 Migrants 1

Last Sundays start to autumn did not materialise as a result of being asleep in bed so it was this Saturday for the off. So far a 100% hit rate. After spending half hour or so around the side and top of Deacon Hill I decided to move off and was almost 200yds south beyond the lone tree and the hole, scanning the terrace below, when I heard a keen "hueet" behind me, which sounded interesting. So a quick run across the top to a position to be sunny side of the bush tops and a nice male Redstart was revealed. The calling and prominence of the bird on the bush top suggested it had just come in and it was not long before it moved from the east side of the hill towards the trig point, where I could not locate it, so I can only assume it had flown on westward somewhere. Maybe starting to get some of the luck that eluded me during searches for waders in the spring.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Autumn starts tomorrow

Not a lot to report from me the last few weeks as birding activity has been somewhat put on the back burner in an attempt to build the value of brownie points in time for the autumn by getting wom jobs done. Will be out tomorrow on the hills with my first attempt on the returning passerines and maybe a fly over.
My only real autumnal find of the year so far was a group of nine Shelduck flying south over Luton early-ish morning on 6th July between rain showers, presumably a movement from the north of England to the moulting grounds. Not one for the SFYL though which would have benefited more from a couple of Curlews  but the flight of Shelduck is more bizarre, more interesting and certainly more memorable.